Rev. Nehemiah Smith

Biography

Rev. Nehemiah Smith, immigrant, was born in England about 1605 and settled at Plymouth in New England before March 6, 1637-38,when he and others applied to be made freemen of the colony. He married, January 21, 1639-40, Anne Bourne, of Marshfield, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Bourne. Her sister Martha married John Bradford, son of Governor William Bradford. Nehemiah Smith lived for a time at Marshfield and is believed to have been the first religious teacher there. He was appointed May 5, 1640,on a committee of five to view all the meadows of Green Harbor (Marshfield) which were not granted and report their measurements to the general court. From Marshfield Smith sailed to Stratford, Connecticut, as early as 1644.He belonged to the church and some of his children were baptized there. The records show that he raised sheep extensively and was called "Shepherd" Smith. He owned land in the New Haven jurisdiction. He removed to Long Island about 1652,but returned in a year or two, and located at New London, Connecticut, where he was granted land in 1652.He appears to have been a weaver by trade and doubtless spun the wool from his own sheep and made it into cloth. About 1655 he settled on a farm at Smith Lake, Poquonock. Smith was one of the original proprietors of Norwich, Ct, and had the largest tract of land. His house stood about fifty-seven feet north of the oldest burying ground. He had grants in 1661 and afterward. He conveyed some land to his nephew, Edward Smith, November 18, 1668,and he and wife Ann conveyed their homestead to their son-in-law, June 12, 1684,in consideration of maintenance for the remainder of their lives. He died about 1686.He left a will, but the records including the will have been destroyed. The records sometimes refer to him as "Mr." in recognition of the fact that in early life he was a preacher.

Notes

Michael Smith

My great Uncle, Walter Burgess Smith, our family genealogist, went to England in rthe 1990s himself. He scoured the records in Newcastle-under-Lyme and found no evidence that Nehemiah came from there.

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The children of Nehemiah Smith and George Smith of New Haven continue to be disputed. Although some publications show that the 1645 baptism of Sarah's children Mary, Sarah and Hannah in Dec 1645 do not specifically say these children were of George or of Nehemiah, all three of these children remained in New Haven to marry there and their marriages and or records show they are "of New Haven" to other New Haven Colony spouses. Whereas Nehemiah's family was in New Haven from 1644 to 1649/50 or so, while these children were still small (under age 10, not near marrying age) to remove to Long Island, New London and Norwich, CT. Looking at Nehemiah's children: Elizabeth Raymond Dennis, Mary Raymond, Nehemiah Smith, who are not disputed, they all seemed to have married and died in New London which would be appropriate since that is where they were upon adulthood, no New Haven connections would place Nehemiah's children as "of New Haven."

http://dunhamwilcox.net/source_files/smith4.htm

Supporting data

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• Nehemiah Smith1
• M, #128280, b. circa 1605, d. 1686
• Nehemiah Smith was born circa 1605 at England.1 He married Ann Bourne, daughter of Thomas Bourne and Elizabeth Rouse, on 21 January 1640 at Marshfield, Plymouth, MA.1,2 Nehemiah Smith died in 1686 at Norwich, New London, CT.1
• Family Ann Bourne b. c 1615, d. 12 Jan 1685
• Child
  • Elizabeth Smith+1 b. 22 Feb 1645, d. 1 May 1712
• Citations
• 1.[S61] Unknown author, Family Group Sheets, Family History Archives, SLC.
• 2.[S14] Unknown author, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, by Clarence Almon Torrey., p. 687.
• From: http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p4272.htm#... ________________________
• A GENEALOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND, SHOWING ... By JAMES SAVAGE Vol. I
• http://books.google.com/books?id=HWEblLuls8kC&printsec=frontcover&d...
• Pg.219
• BOURNE, THOMAS, early at Marshfield, may prob. have come from Co. Kent, bring. fam. hav. been at Plymouth 1637, freem. of that col. 2 Jan. 1638, and w. Eliz. bur. 18 July 1660, aged 70, was a man of substance and repute, d. a. 1554, aged 83, leav. wid. Martha, ch. prob. all by w. Eliz. John, above ment.; Martha, wh. m. 1 John Bradford, s. of the Gov. 2. Thomas Tracy, d at Norwich 1689; Eliz. m. 9 Dec. 1638, Robert Waterman; Ann m. 21 June 1640, Nehemiah Smith; Margaret m. Josiah Winslow, br. of Gov. Edward; and Lydia m. Nathanil Tilden. His will of 2 May 1664, made s. John excor. names ea. d. and Lydia, d. of Lydia, beside John, Thomas Joseph and Wabert Waterman, and Mr. Arnold, his min.,

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• A GENEALOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND, SHOWING ... By JAMES SAVAGE Vol. IV
• http://books.google.com/books?id=jljl0jkEoegC&printsec=frontcover&d...
• Pg.127
• SMITH, NEHEMIAH, by Miss Thomas thot. to be first relig. teach. at Marshfield, I hear no more of, exc. that in an eminent. confus. obitua. on p. 82 of Geneal. Reg. XIV. Ann, a d. of the first Thomas Bourne, is said to m. Rev. Nehemiah S. in 1639.
• SMITH, NEHEMIAH, New Haven, had Sarah (disputed), and Mary, b. 1642 (disputed); Hannah, 1644( disputed), all bapt. 14 Dec. 1645; Mercy (disputed) and Eliz(disputed). 1645, both bapt. 22 Feb. 1646; and Nehemiah, bapt. not (as in Geneal. Reg. IX. 362) 24 Oct. but 25, 1646; all in right of his w. Sarah; kept the sheep of the town 1644-9 and rem. soon aft. to New London, and a. 1660 to Norwich, freem. 1669, d. 1686, leav. w. Ann and four ds. Mary, w. of Samuel Raymond (Mary of George married William Camp); Ann, w. of Thomas Bradford; Eliz. w. of Joshua Raymond; and Experience, wh. m. 1 Nov. 1677, Joshua Abel.
• SMITH, NEHEMIAH, New London, only s. of the preced. m. 24 Oct. 1669, Lydia, d. of Alexander Winchester of Rehoboth, had Lydia,
• Pg.128
• b. 29 Oct. 1670; Nehemiah, 14 Nov. 1673; Samuel, 2 June 1676; Martha 15 Oct. 1678; Daniel. 29 Oct. 1680; and Margaret, 1683; was in very high esteem, and d. 8 Aug. 1727; his w. d. 1725.
• SMITH, NEHEMIAH, Exeter, d. says Farmer, 1673. He thinks him s. of William of Weymouth. _______________________
• Rev Nehemiah Smith
• Birth: Jun., 1605 Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England
• Death: Aug. 8, 1686 Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
• Nehemiah Smith arrived in Plymouth, New England before March 6, 1637/8 when he applied to become a freeman of the Mass. Bay Colony. He was one of the first religious teachers in Marshfield about 1638 where Rev. Nehemiah Smith married Ann (not Sarah in church records who was the wife of George Smith, of New Haven), daughter of Thomas Bourne of Marshfield. He was appointed May 5, 1640 to a committee of five to view all the meadows of Green Harbor (Marshfield) which were not granted and report their measurements to the general court.
• The family removed to New Haven in the Colony of New Haven. In 1641, a cart bridge was erected over the West River in New Haven and in 1646, Nehemiah Smith agreed to care for the town's sheep in exchange for the use of certain west-side pasture (Records of the Colony & Plantation of New Haven 1638-1649 ,Charles J. Hoadley, Hartford, Conn: Case, Tiffany & Co.1857, p. 266). The family lived in Long Island for a year or two before going to Norwich around 1652, then removed to New London where he received a grant of land and again to Norwich where he became a freeman in 1669.
• He was one of the original proprietors of Norwich which was bought in Jun 1659 of Indian Chief Uncas and his sons. His home lot was laid out in Nov 1659. He had the largest tract of any of the first settlers and received other grants at later times. His house was about 57 feet north of the oldest burying Ground known as Post Gager Burying Ground. He raised sheep and wove cloth from the wool. He was called "Shepherd Smith" and "Mr." Smith in respect of him being a pastor in his early years. At the county court in Norwich in 1666, "Nehemiah Smith of Norwich declaring himself above 60 yrs. of age and his brother John declaring the same at the earnest desire is freed from training."
• He conveyed land to his nephew, Edward Smith on Nov. 18, 1668, and he and his wife, Ann, deeded their homestead to their son-in-law on June 12, 1684 "in consideration of maintenance for the remainder of their lives".
• He died in 1686 and left a will that was subsequently destroyed along with other records.
• The children of Nehemiah & Ann: Mary, wife of Samuel Raymond; Ann, wife of Thomas Bradford; Elizabeth, wife of Joshua Raymond, Mehitable Experience, wife of Joshua Abel; and Nehemiah Smith, Jr.
• Spouse:
• Ann Bourne Smith (1615 - 1684) NOT SARAH.
• Children:
  • Mary Raymond (Smith)
  • Elizabeth Smith Raymond Dennis (1641 - 1712)*
  • Nehemiah Smith (1646 - 1727)*
  • Mehitable Smith Abell (1655 - 1684)*
• Burial: Founders Cemetery Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
• From: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=17118256 _____________________
• Bourne, Ann
• b. 18 JAN 1614/5 Marshfield, Plymouth, Mass.
• d. 12 JAN 1683/4 Norwich, New London, CT.
• Parents:
• Father: Bourne, Thomas
• Mother: Rouse, Elizabeth
• Family:
• Marriage: 21 JAN 1638/9 Marshfield, Plymouth, Mass.
• Spouse: Smith, Nehemiah Reverend
• b. 1605 New Castle, Stffrd, England
• d. 1686 Norwich, New London, CT.
• Children:
  • SMITH, Mary (married a Raymond)
  • Smith, Elizabeth (married a Raymond & Dennis)
  • SMITH, Nehemiah Jr.
  • SMITH, Mehitable (married an Abell)
• Family:
• Marriage: before 1645)

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Reverend Nehemiah Smith

He was the founder of this branch of the Smith family in America. Reverend Smith was born in England. He came to Plymouth, Massachusetts early in the 1600's, as early as 1637/38. He removed to Connecticut and became an original proprietor of Norwich. He purchased land for the Indian Chief Uncas for his sons in June 1659. Reverend Smith was one of the original proprietors and largest landholders in the settlement.

Links

• http://dunhamwilcox.net/source_files/smith4.htm

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Birth: Jun., 1605 Newcastle-under-Lyme Staffordshire, England Death: Aug. 8, 1686 Norwich New London County Connecticut, USA

Nehemiah Smith arrived in Plymouth, New England before March 6, 1637/8 when he applied to become a freeman of the Mass. Bay Colony. He was one of the first religious teachers in Marshfield about 1638 where Rev. Nehemiah Smith married Ann, daughter of Thomas Bourne of Marshfield. He was appointed May 5, 1640 to a committee of five to view all the meadows of Green Harbor (Marshfield) which were not granted and report their measurements to the general court.

The family briefly removed to New Haven in the Colony of New Haven. In 1646, Nehemiah Smith agreed to care for the town's sheep in exchange for the use of certain west-side pasture (Records of the Colony & Plantation of New Haven 1638-1649 ,Charles J. Hoadley, Hartford, Conn: Case, Tiffany & Co.1857, p. 266). The family lived in Long Island for a year or two returning to Norwich, and around 1667, then removed to New London where he received a grant of land and again to Norwich where he became a freeman in 1669.

He was one of the original proprietors of Norwich which was bought in Jun 1659 of Indian Chief Uncas and his sons. His home lot was laid out in Nov 1659. He had the largest tract of any of the first settlers and received other grants at later times. His house was about 57 feet north of the oldest burying Ground known as Post Gager Burying Ground. He raised sheep and wove cloth from the wool. He was called "Shepherd Smith" and "Mr." Smith in respect of him being a pastor in his early years. At the county court in Norwich in 1666, "Nehemiah Smith of Norwich declaring himself above 60 yrs. of age and his brother John declaring the same at the earnest desire is freed from training."

He conveyed land to his nephew, Edward Smith on Nov. 18, 1668, and he and his wife, Ann, deeded their homestead to their son-in-law on June 12, 1684 "in consideration of maintenance for the remainder of their lives".

He died in 1686 and left a will that was subsequently destroyed along with other records.

The children of Nehemiah & Ann: Mary, wife of Samuel Raymond; Ann, wife of Thomas Bradford; Elizabeth, wife of Joshua Raymond, Mehitable Experience, wife of Joshua Abel; and Nehemiah Smith, Jr.

Date of death January 1684/85. Second date is the "new" Gregorian calendar currently in use. First date agrees with the (Julian) calendar year he was born, giving his accurate age at death.

References

• A genealogical history of the descendants of the Rev. Nehemiah Smith of New London County, Conn. : with mention of his brother John and nephew Edward. 1638-1888 by Smith, Henry Allen, 1847- (Publication date 1889). Page 53 - < Archive.Org >